1/25 (HOU): Ladies Classic, Connally (G3), Champion, Allen's Landing

[Kasept]

6th (9:15) Allen's Landing S.

7 Furlongs | Open | 3 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $50,000

1 Splendid Saturday Parker D L 117 L
2 Kowboy Boots Leparoux J R 117 L
3 Cass Lake Kitty Mora G 117 L
4 Awesome J T Wade L 117 L
5 F J Uncle Vic Valdez-Jiminez E 117 L
6 Check Ride Murphy B G 117 L



7th (9:45) Champion Energy Services S.

5 Furlongs (Turf) | Open | 4 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $75,000

1 Force Freeze Valdez-Jiminez E 118 L
2 Bounding Bi Saez L 115 L
3 Artest Leparoux J R 118 L
4 Ishararuler Murphy B G 118 L
5 Great Mills Parker D L 120 L
6 Flat Black Arguello F A Jr 118 L
7 Sum of the Parts Napravnik R 123 L
8 Hogy Emigh C A 118 L
9 Perfect Parker Maldonado E 118 L



8th (10:15) John B. Connally Turf Cup S. (G3)

1 1/8 Miles (Turf) | Open | 4 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $200,000

1 Vertiformer Bravo J 118 L
2 Cajun Don Valdez-Jiminez E 118 L
3 Marine Patrol Bridgmohan S X 118 L
4 King David Napravnik R 118 L
5 Admiral Kitten Leparoux J R 118 L
6 Arthur's Court Chacaltana J 118 L
7 Michael's Gabriel Diego I V 118 L
8 Fredericksburg Saez L 118 L



9th (10:45) Houston Ladies Classic S.

1 1/16 Miles | Fillies and Mares | 4 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $400,000

1 Rose to Gold Rios J M 115 L
2 Unusual Way Maldonado E 115 L
3 And Why Not Saez L 115 L
4 Awesome Flower Napravnik R 115 L
5 Phonybooksnrecords Parker D L 115 L
6 Class Included Bridgmohan S X 115 L
7 Do You Like Me Now Arguello F A Jr 115 L
8 Moon Philly Leparoux J R 115 L

[Kasept]

There's going to be contention over circumstances involved in Force Freeze showing up in the sprint stake. Retired after bowing a tendon in April 2012, previous trainer Peter Walder is uncomfortable about the 9yo gelding running.

[Duvalier]

Originally Posted by Kasept

There's going to be contention over circumstances involved in Force Freeze showing up in the sprint stake. Retired after bowing a tendon in April 2012, previous trainer Peter Walder is uncomfortable about the 9yo gelding running.

Couldn't they have retired him themselves or held the papers or something if they didn't want him to run anymore?

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by Kasept

There's going to be contention over circumstances involved in Force Freeze showing up in the sprint stake. Retired after bowing a tendon in April 2012, previous trainer Peter Walder is uncomfortable about the 9yo gelding running.

Not knowing much about the situation, it seems like no good can come from this horse running. Looking at the pp's now. 4 published works, all with gaps. He works on 11/16 and then he does not work again until 12/18. That should give concern right there. You would want to see him pair up 7-10 days apart coming off such a long layoff. Then its 12/30. Thats not as bad, only 12 days and its actually a bullet. For whatever thats worth it was only 1 of 9. Then the next work is 1/17 so another 19 days off. Clearly he is not sound, at all. Hopefully he gets around the track safe. Not really the point, but that field is loaded for a turf sprint at Sam Houston. Not sure why they feel he could be competitve 1st time turf, off this layoff, vs these horses.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by Duvalier

Couldn't they have retired him themselves or held the papers or something if they didn't want him to run anymore?

He has been on the Texas farm associated with owner Saeed Naser Al Romalthi and it appears he was entered under the farm manager's name. Walder had begun to make arrangements for Force Freeze to go to Old Friends after the bow, but there was an issue with the farm manager at that time. Since he was never on a vet's list, he didn't have to work for an OK to run.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by Kasept

He has been on the Texas farm associated with owner Saeed Naser Al Romalthi and it appears he was entered under the farm manager's name. Walder had begun to make arrangements for Force Freeze to go to Old Friends after the bow, but there was an issue with the farm manager at that time. Since he was never on a vet's list, he didn't have to work for an OK to run.

Wow....do not see many ways this ends up good

[Duvalier]

Originally Posted by Kasept

He has been on the Texas farm associated with owner Saeed Naser Al Romalthi and it appears he was entered under the farm manager's name. Walder had begun to make arrangements for Force Freeze to go to Old Friends after the bow, but there was an issue with the farm manager at that time. Since he was never on a vet's list, he didn't have to work for an OK to run.

That's messed up. Hopefully everything works out and someone does what's in the best interest of the horse.

What is there to gain for this horse to run in a 75k stakes at SHRP?

[PatCummings]

Originally Posted by Kasept

He has been on the Texas farm associated with owner Saeed Naser Al Romalthi and it appears he was entered under the farm manager's name. Walder had begun to make arrangements for Force Freeze to go to Old Friends after the bow, but there was an issue with the farm manager at that time. Since he was never on a vet's list, he didn't have to work for an OK to run.

Ownership was transferred to the current owners more than a year ago from what I've heard.

[Kasept]

Sam Houston: Now 9, Force Freeze returns after long absence
http://www.drf.com/news/premium/sam-...r-long-absence

Nice work by Mary Rampellini covering all sides...

Force Freeze, now 9, will be making his first start since winning the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship on Feb. 18, 2012 in the five-furlong turf sprint. In addition to his win in the Gulfstream Sprint Championship and his runner-up effort in the Breeders’ Cup, Force Freeze also finished a close second in the 2011 Vosburgh.

He will be racing for new owners, Eric and Randi Moreau-Sipiere, and a new trainer, Jerenesto Torrez.

Force Freeze’s layoff was necessitated by a tendon injury sustained in an April 2012 workout in Florida. He was diagnosed with an 80 percent core lesion tear in his right front tendon, said Peter Walder, who trained Force Freeze at the time.

Walder said the veterinarian’s recommendation was no less than a year off, if not retirement. Force Freeze was then shipped to a farm in Texas to recuperate.

“I told them I had things lined up for him to go to Old Friends,” Walder said of the retirement home for high-profile racehorses.

In his time away from the track, Force Freeze has been “babysitting” yearlings at the Dallas-area farm of Moreau-Sipiere, who had served as a racing manager for the horse’s previous owner, Saeed Naser al Romaithi. Moreau-Sipiere said he privately purchased Force Freeze in a package deal of horses, and put him back in training last summer with Torrez at Retama Park.

“We’re very excited,” Eric Moreau-Sipiere said Wednesday. “It’s been a long process, and we’ll see what the horse tells us. He looks like he’s really happy. He’s training fantastic. If the horse shows us this is something he does not want to do, we’ll put him back in the pasture with a new group of yearlings.”

Moreau-Sipiere said he had a horse with a similar injury return to race with success in the past, so he decided to give Force Freeze a chance at a comeback after he received clearance from a veterinarian. He said “extensive ultrasound” tests were performed on Force Freeze.

“The vet said, ‘It looks fantastic. He should come back,’ ” said Moreau-Sipiere.

Walder said when Force Freeze showed up in the entries on Tuesday, his “phone started blowing up.” He said he has a deep respect for the horse, and would ideally like to see him retired to Old Friends.

Force Freeze shows four published works for his return, between Retama and Sam Houston, part of the regular circuit followed by Torrez, a leading trainer in Texas who won 37 of 216 starts in 2013. Force Freeze will break from the rail, under jockey Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez.

Force Freeze began his career at Oaklawn Park, when he won his debut in a $20,000 maiden claimer on Feb. 9, 2008. He was later sold privately, and spent some of his career in Dubai before returning to North America and reaching his peak under the tutelage of Walder.

[gamblin4ever]

I hope he comes out of the race in good shape.

[Arletta]

Wonder what vet gave him the "o.k"..

[letswastemoney]

I know everyone is talking about Force Freeze...but Rose to Gold finally gets a dirt start after two turf failures. I'll be interested if those turf failures are enough to make her odds decent.

[letswastemoney]

Originally Posted by letswastemoney

I know everyone is talking about Force Freeze...but Rose to Gold finally gets a dirt start after two turf failures. I'll be interested if those turf failures are enough to make her odds decent.

Rose to Gold wins on dirt at 5/1!

If her connections ever run her on turf again, someone should steal her! She doesn't deserve such a wasteful schedule.